Rail-joint.



No. 663,354. Patented Dec. 4, I900. R. McCOY.

RAIL JOINT.

Application filed Oct. 19. 1900.)

(No Model.)

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Unrrnn STATES EPATENT lrricn.

ROBERT MCCOY, OF URIOH, MISSOURI.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,354, dated December 4;, 1900.

Application filed October 19, 1900. serial No. 33,578. No model.)

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Be it known that 1, ROBERT MCCOY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Urich, in the county of Henry and Stale of Missouri, have invented a new and useful RailJoint-, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail-joints, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character which is especially designed to provide for the contraction and eX- pansion of the rails without weakening the joint. Itis furthermore designed to provide improved means for tightening the movable fish-plate against the rail-sections,and,finally, to provide for removing the rails endwise from the embracing fishplates without removing the latter from their connections with the rail-chair.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accom panying drawings,and particularly point ed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail-joint constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a trans- .verse sectional view thereof, taken through one of the adjustable fastenings of the movable fish-plate. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view illustrating one of the adjustable fastening devices for the movable fish-plate.

Corresponding parts are designated by like characters in all of the figures of the drawlngs.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 and 2 designate the opposite rail-sections, which have their adjacent ends connected by the present form of rail-joint.

3 designates the tie, which comes directly below the joint between the rail-sections.

The rail-chair 4 rests upon the tie and has one side projected a suitable distance beyond the flange of the rails, while its opposite edge is provided With an upwardly and inwardly inclined flange 5, which embraces the flanges of both railsections and is pro vided at its outer or upper edge with an upstanding flange 6, forming the fixed fish-plate for engagement against the inner sides of the rail-sections. Suitable track-fastenings 7 are employed at opposite edges of the chair to hold it to the tie.

The movable fish-plate 8, which is upon the outer side of the rail, is provided with an outwardly and downwardly inclined bottom or base flange 9, that fits snugly against the upper faces of the outer flange portions of the rail and overlaps the base of the chair 4. The rail-chair and the flange of the movable fishplate project at opposite sides of the tie and have their corners connected by means of the bolts 10. As bestindicated in Fig. 3, the flange 9 is provided with a transverse slot 11 for the reception of the adjacent bolt 10 in order that the plate may be adjusted toward and away from the rail-sections. Fitted to the upper projecting end of each bolt is a cam-shaped nut 12, which has its upper side provided with a reduced angular wrench head or projection 13 for manipulation of-the adjusting-cam. The upper face of the flange 9 is provided with a longitudinal shoulder 14:, against which the peripheral edge of the adjusting-cam is designed to be turned, so as to force the flange and the movable fish-plate inwardly and against the rail-sections, so as to insure a tight fit of the rail-chair and fishplates. This shoulder is preferably formed by reducing the thickness of the opposite corners of the flange 9, whereby the cams are flush with or within the upper face of the flange 9, so that the latter is comparatively free from projections.

The movable fish-plate is provided with a plurality of rail-engaging keys 15, each of which is hinged or pivotally connected to the upper face of the flange 9 in any suitable manner, as indicated at 16, so as to swing toward and away from the rail-sections. The free extremity of the shank of each key is provided with a lateral projection or extension 17, that is designed to take into the alined perforations 18, 19, and 20, formed in the upper portion of the movable fish-plate, the web of the adjacent rail-section, and the opposite fixed fish-plate, respectively. These perforations have a downward inclination from the upper perforation in the movable fish-plate, so as to accommodate the lateral locking projection of the key, which swings in the path of a circle around the pivotalsupport of the shank as a center; also, the openings in the rail-sections are elongated longitudinally thereof, so as to permit of longitudinal movement of the rail-sections under the influence of expansion and contraction.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the rail-sections can be removed longitudinally from the rail-chair without removing the latter or the fish -plates by merely swinging the locking-keys outwardly from engagement with the corresponding perforations, as these keys are the only fastenings which preventlongitudinal displacement of the rails.

It is preferable to have the under side of the plate 9 provided with longitudinal serrations or roughened, as indicated at 21, so as to bite into the upper face of the chair, and thereby form a strong connection therebetween.

What is claimed is- 1. 111 a rail-joint, the combination of a railchair, a fixed fish-plate, an opposite movable fish-plate having a bottom flange provided with one or more transverse slots, a pin carried by the rail-chairand projecting upwardly through the slot of the flange, an adjustingcam mounted upon the projecting end of the pin, and a shoulder located in the path of the peripheral edge of the cam.

52. In a rail-joint, the combination of a railchair, a fixed fish-plate, a movable fish-plate, having a bottom flange overlapping the chair, and provided with a transverse slot, and a longitudinal shoulder extending across the inner end of the slot, a bolt carried by the chair and projecting upwardly through the slot, an adjusting cam-nut fitted to the projecting end of the bolt, and provided upon its upper face with an angular wrench-head.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination with pposite fish-plates, having corresponding perforations, of a rail-locking key pivotally or hingedly connected to one of the fish-plates, and having its free end arranged to take into the corresponding perforations.

4. In a rail-joint, the combination of a railchair, having opposite fish-plates, provided with corresponding perforations, of opposite rail-sections received between the fish-plates and also provided with longitudinal slots corresponding to the perforations of the fishplates, and a plurality of rail-locking keys hinged to one of the fish-plates, swinging in a direction transversely of the rail-sections, and having their free ends arranged to take into the respective corresponding perforations and slots of the fish-plates and the rails.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alfixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT MCCOY. Witnesses A. H. HARVEY, J. A. KERR. 

